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Treasures: Laughing Makes The Top Of Resolution List

Tina Dale has been the features editor for the Times Record since March 2001. She previously was a beat reporter for several years, covering Crawford County, agribusiness, health, education and Sebastian County courts. She has won awards for feature story, news and business coverage and humor column. Previously, she was an award-winning news producer for Channel 40/29 KHBS and a reporter for the Amarillo Globe News in Amarillo, Texas. Tina was named a Leading Lady by the Junior League of Fort Smith for 2007. She has a bachelor's degree in journalism and English from the Angelo State University in San Angelo, Texas, and a master's degree in professional writing from the University of Oklahoma in Norman, Okla. She originally is from Wheeler, Texas.

It’s that time of year. You know, the very end of it when you reflect on the past 12 months, remember the pleasant times and wonder what you should do make the new year better.

It’s the time of year when you determine how you need to change and what you need to do differently in your life.

It’s time for new year’s resolutions.

Well, I decided I want no more of that nonsense.

I don’t mean the reflection part. I wanted that. At least, I wanted to remember all the pleasant parts.

But I decided I wasn’t going to make a list of things I resolved to do differently, I was just going to start the new year happy, positive and determined to make it the best year yet.

Unfortunately, I have this little problem, though I prefer to think of it as one the little quirks that adds to my charm: I tend to second guess myself — often.

So I did what I often do when I’m second guessing myself. I researched. In this case, I researched most popular resolutions. I only got as far as the No. 1 resolution on the top Google hit of my search to realize maybe a few resolutions wouldn’t be such a bad thing.

“Polls conducted by General Nutrition Centers, Quicken and others shows that more than 50 percent of Americans vow to appreciate loved ones and spend more time with family and friends this year,” stated About.com.

OK, maybe that is part of what I would like to have in the coming year, especially considering it was time with friends and family that brought back so many smiles when I was in the middle of that reflecting thing.

And that led me to wonder what else on that top 10 list did I need to add to mine.

According to About.com the No. 2 resolution is Fit in Fitness. I’m certain I should make a little more time for that in coming year, so it’s now on the list, too.

No. 3 — Tame the Bulge: I think I’m OK here, as long as I don’t neglect the Fit in Fitness thing. I definitely don’t want to join the more than 66 percent of adult Americans who are considered overweight or obese by recent studies.

No. 4 — Quit Smoking: Since I have never smoked, I don’t think I need to worry about quitting. But if any of you do, I definitely urge you to put this on the top of your list. If I’m going to spend more time with family and friends in 2013, I need you all to be here. Quitting smoking definitely ups those odds.

No. 5 — Enjoy Life More: Doesn’t that sound like the most amazing thing to resolve to do next year? I can see why that makes the list, and, yes, it’s going on mine.

No. 6 — Quit Drinking: I wonder if people make this a resolution while nursing a hangover from New Year’s Eve.

No. 7 — Get Out of Debt.

No. 8 — Learn Something New.

No. 9 — Help Others: I hope this isn’t something I need to resolve to do. I hope this is something I do. I hope it’s something I teach my children is important. I hope they listen and that helping others becomes engraved so deeply in who they are, they never need to make it a resolution.

No. 10 — Get Organized: As long as it lets me use my handy label maker, I’m all for putting this on my resolution list. Hmmm, maybe I could make a list of all the things I need to label in order to make life more organized.

As it turns out, I guess I do have some things I resolve to change or do in the coming year. Fortunately, they are things I think I can manage just fine. I also think they are things that will make 2013 even better.

So if I show up at your house in running shoes with my label maker, be kind. I’m just trying to fulfill my resolutions. If you join me, you can help me with the thing I really want to resolve to do more in the new year: Laugh more, worry less and love life with abandon.